Arkansas' best high school softball players: Meet the state's top outfielders
By Kyle Sutherland | Photo by Sadie Rucker
With the high school softball season winding down, SBLive is looking at the best players in Arkansas. Today, we feature some of the top outfielders across all classifications. This includes left, center and right fielders.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not meant to be a comprehensive list as there are hundreds of great outfielders statewide. These are players we have seen along with recommendations from coaches. Also, for the purpose of balancing the lists, some players might be mentioned with their secondary positions.
Chloe Ashmead | Sheridan | SO
The speedy Ashmead blew up particularly in the back half of the season for the Lady Jackets. The slapper batted .567 through April and was “deadly” at the plate per Sheridan head coach Scott Hoffman. Defensively Ashmead compiled a .905 fielding percentage in that same time frame.
Lacey Baker | West Side Greers Ferry | FR
Baker is another freshman who has really come onto the scene and is near the top of every batting category for a Lady Eagles squad that is one of the best in Class 1A as evidenced by her walk-off double in the state semifinals to advance the Lady Eagles to the state championship. She hit .373 with an on-base percentage of .432 and two home runs through regional tournament play.
“Lacy is a great player and an even better kid, a coach could not ask for a better player,” West Side head coach Jeff Smith said. “She can play any position on the field and is one of the leaders in every offensive category.”
Kylee Branscum | Mayflower | FR
Branscum has hardly scratched the surface but has already been heralded by Mayflower head coach Jeff Hill as being “probably the best outfielder I’ve ever coached.” Offensively, Branscum batted .360 with 4 doubles through district tournament play. She mainly pitches for the Lady Eagles’ junior varsity but has a varsity perfect game to her credit in a 15-0 win over Jessieville on April 22.
Camryn Casey | Harrison | SR
Casey produced an abundance of big plays at the plate for the Lady Goblins in 2022, but she really made a name for herself defensively where she has drawn the praise of her coach, as well as opposing ones. One key moment was a double play on a great throw from Casey to home plate in the regional championship against Farmington to win the game 4-2. At the plate she hit .354 with a .391 on-base percentage with 11 doubles and 4 home runs.
“Camryn’s true strength is her defense,” Harrison head coach Robin Taylor said. “There is rarely a ball hit anywhere in centerfield that she can’t go.”
Ava Carter | Greene County Tech | SO
Carter was tabbed all-state as a freshman last season and has improved on those numbers this year as she hit .542 with a .679 on base percentage, 32 runs batted in, four triples, and 21 stolen bases through the regular season.
“Ava is a 5-tool player that does everything for us,” GCT head coach David Reynolds said. “I feel like she is a top 5 player in the state as a sophomore.”
Ashley Chambers | Nashville | SR
Chambers is one of the fastest Scrapperettes on the team as mentioned by her head coach Boomer Brown: “[You] better not coast to first on a base hit to right field.” Brown also mentioned that Chambers has the perfect combination of arm strength and accuracy. At the plate, she bats leadoff and hit .404 with 4 triples, 27 runs batted in and 2 home runs through district tournament play.
Chasney “Chaz” Cooper | Malvern | SO
Cooper patrols the deep part of the field at center and also does well at the plate hitting .417 with an on base percentage of .484 walking only 11 times. Cooper has also showed her speed with 18 stolen bases (21 attempts) and 38 runs scored through April.
Macey Cutsinger | Greenwood | SR
Greenwood head coach Ronnie Sockey describes Cutsinger as the type of player who regardless of whether it is offense or defense, she just accomplishes what needs to be done. Sockey pointed out that Cutsinger’s biggest overall attribute is what she does for the team offensively. She also scored 24 runs and successfully stole 17 bases through April.
“Macey is the table setter for our line up and when she gets on base, she usually will score some runs for us,” Sockey said. “She is [also] steady for us playing center field.”
Natalie Dunman | East Poinsett County | JR
The Lady Warriors’ vocal leader in right field has compiled a good .905 fielding percentage and come up in key moments at the plate through regional tournament play batting .484 with an .839 slugging percentage with 48 runs batted in and 5 home runs. She was huge in the regional championship game against McCrory smacking a three-run homer that eventually helped put the game away.
Marybeth Dyson | Bentonville West | SR
The Missouri State signee has heaped quite high praise from her head coach Anthony Cantrell as being the fastest player he has ever coached. Dyson has utilized that speed in snagging bases, successfully stealing 22 of them on as many attempts through April. She has batted .393, smacked a home run, and scored 32 runs in that same time.
“Marybeth’s range in the outfield is second to none,” Cantrell said. “She has a plus arm with multiple outfield assists.”
Hannah Edington | CAC | FR
After stepping away from softball a year-and-a-half ago, Edington came onto the scene as a freshman for the Lady Mustangs in the outfield with only one error committed on the season. At the plate, she hit .333 with a .508 on-base percentage and hit a home run. Her contributions did not stop there as she also spent time 12 innings in the circle and went 2-0 allowing just 4 hits while striking out 23. With a full summer to continue honing her craft, it appears Edington is just now scratching the surface.
Keeley Elsea | Gravette | SO
Batting in the third spot while also holding down centerfield or first base, Elsea was big in the Lady Lions’ run the state quarterfinals. This season she was second on the team batting .516, a .607 on-base percentage, .737 slugging percentage, with 29 runs batted in and two home runs. She did well defensively too, compiling a .933 fielding percentage with 51 putouts.
Kelsey Eppes | Marion | SO
Marion head coach Sean Gray raved about Eppes’ “breakout” season and pointed out the strength of her arm throwing out two runners at home plate from her left field spot. Offensively Eppes has batted .448, which led the Lady Patriot, with 9 doubles, 23 runs batted in, and a home run.
Mak Fithian | Rogers | SO
Fithian got some starting experience last season for the Lady Mounties and was a staple of the team this season compiling a solid .929 fielding percentage playing holding down the left side. Offensively she is in the leadoff spot and hit .316 with an on base percentage of .518 in her sophomore season.
Lundyn Foree | Southside Batesville | SR
Foree was the heart of the Lady Southerner’s outfield as a four-year starter who displayed a great glove and speed according to Southside head coach Bo Gould. Through the regular season in her final year, she hit .449 with an on base percentage of .530 scoring 31 runs and stole 27 bases.
Kylie “K.G.” Germann | Rogers Heritage | SR
The Central Baptist College signee has led Heritage in many offensive categories as a senior and also is exceptional in the classroom having earned the Heritage Scholar Award among multiple All-Academic honors. This season she hit .424 with a .530 on base percentage, both rank first on the team, along with 25 runs scored. Defensively, she was perfect with a 1.000 fielding percentage on 33 chances (35 putouts, 8 assists) while turning one double play.
Aubree Goodnight | Benton | SR
After hitting .405 and driving in 30 runs as a junior, along with a 1.000 fielding parentage defensively for the state champion Lady Panthers team, Goodnight is having another great year with yet another perfect fielding percentage through the regular season and still hitting a solid .371 with 19 runs batted in and a .500 slugging percentage.
“Aubree reads the ball off the bat very well,” Benton head coach Heidi Cox said. “She takes the best angles in the outfield with speed and she leads our team vocally as well.”
Katelyn Hill | Mountain Home | SR
Hill was good defensively for the Lady Bombers with a .975 fielding percentage and was a consistent performer over for them overall batting .311 with a .482 on base percentage scoring 23 runs, 15 runs batted in, and a home run hitting in the leadoff spot.
“Katelyn gets to balls that you don't think she's going to get to, and she will make some phenomenal catches as well,” Lady Bombers head coach Blake Hendricks said. “She patrols the outfield better than anyone I've seen before, baseball or softball. She also reads the ball off the bat really, really well.”
Emma Holland | Cabot | JR
Holland was one of five starters that returned from last year’s Lady Panthers squad and has continued to produce in center field compiling a .933 fielding percentage. Cabot head coach Chris Cope mentioned Holland possesses a strong arm along with great speed and really has the instincts to track a ball down. Offensively Holland hit .424 batting 23 runs in and 4 home runs through the regular season.
Macy Hoskins | Bryant | JR
The Henderson State commit holds down center as part of a very talented outfield for the Lady Hornets team that was one of the best in Class 6A this season. Through the regular season, Hoskins hit.393 with a .532 on base percentage.
“Macy has great speed and range in the outfield,” Bryant head coach Lisa Dreher said. “She also has a great arm which keeps the runners honest.”
Bella Hulsey | Farmington | SO
Hulsey’s desire to compete and the aggressiveness she shows are two ways to describe her game per Farmington head coach Jason Shirey, but her strong arm in the outfield along with her contributions at the plate have also paid dividends for the Lady Cardinals in her sophomore year. At the plate Hulsey had 26 runs batted in with 7 doubles and 4 home runs through April.
Hope Johnson | Vilonia | SR
Johnson has had a great season at center field, also in the circle, and continued to pick up that momentum through the final games of the regular season. In that span, she hit .440 with 14 doubles, batted 18 runs in, and hit a home run.
Sofia King | Conway | JR
King, a Missouri State commit, is known to track down deep balls and keep them from going over the fence and just seems to always be in the right places when she needs to be. She was extremely effective at the plate as the leadoff hitter batting over .600 through the regular season. She helped Conway defeat No. 3 Bryant 11-10 on a walk off home run back on May 6 going three for five batting for the game.
“Sofia flies in the outfield and around the bases,” Conway head coach Chata Hickey said.
Trinity Kussmaul | Guy-Perkins | SR
Kussmaul also excels for the Lady Thunderbirds on the hardwood but has been a key reason for the softball team’s state tournament semifinal run. She led, or is close to the top of, just about every offensive category and was reliable at the plate hitting .490 with a .552 on base percentage and two home runs. She also boasted a 1.000 fielding percentage on defense with 25 putouts.
Anna Lee | Rogers Heritage | SR
Lee, along with the aforementioned Kylie German and Grace Pingel, are a trio of senior leaders who have been the driving force behind Heritage making a run to the state tournament, so it is hard not to mention one without all three. Lee hit .420 with a .490 on base percentage and led the team with 4 home runs. Pingel hit .416 with a .438 on base percentage and will play her college ball at Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College.
Lauran Lenard | Taylor | SR
Lenard has seen nothing but success in her high school career for the Lady Tigers helping them win three of the past four state championships in a row and she is hoping to get one more here soon before her time is done. This season Lenard has hit .429 with a .566 on base percentage, 10 home runs, and 28 runs batted in up until state tournament play.
“Lauran is a senior leader who has been a big contributor all 4 years of her high school career,” Taylor head coach Courtney McHenry said. She comes through at the plate in big moments.”
Madelyn Maynard | Stuttgart | SR
Maynard has batted over .400 in her career and has kept up that pace plus some hitting .445 this season with a .571 slugging percentage and 26 runs batted in through the regular season. Defensively she had 18 putouts in that time and per Stuttgart head coach Chasen Bowman “covers gap to gap and always seems to catch the ball above her shoulders.”
“Madalyn sees the ball off the bat better than anybody I have ever coached,” Stuttgart head coach Chasen Bowman said “Middle infielders know to get out of her way on anything hit between them.”
Lindsey Morgan | Lavaca | SR
Morgan has been a swiss army knife for a Lavaca team who turned things completely around from last season, and even the early part of this year, playing just about every position from catcher to middle infield and now to center field where she settled in nicely boasting a solid .988 fielding percentage.
“Lindsey finds a way to get on base,” Lavaca head coach Randy Hogan said. “She is a team player with willingness to do what it takes to be on the field playing any position that we need her to play.”
Taylor Parker | Heber Springs | FR
Parker had a great season for the Lady Panthers making all-conference in her freshman season. She was in the Top 2 of every team statistic batting .448 with a slugging percentage of .759 and 20 runs batted in. She also pitched at a high level earning seven wins and defensively compiled a .974 fielding percentage with only one error.
“Taylor has a great knowledge of the game and has above average work ethic,” Heber Springs head coach Dusty West said. “It is going to be exciting to see what she can become on and off the field over the next three years.”
Addie Pershall | Lincoln | FR
Lincoln had multiple freshmen step up this year and Pershall is one who did big time leading the Lady Wolves to the Class 3A quarterfinals boasting a 1.000 fielding percentage in left field. She hit .443, had an on-base percentage of .528, a .721 slugging percentage, 16 RBI, 24 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases through regional tournament play.
“Addie is a solid outfielder for us and very consistent at the plate,” Lincoln head coach Britt Engel said. “We benefit greatly from having her on the field and in the lineup.”
Dita Porterfield | Vilonia | FR
Porterfield’s potential is sky high as one of the top 325 players in the country for the Class of 2025 according to Legacy Softball, and she displayed that ability in the first round of the state tournament, one of many times, going 2-for-3 and scoring two runs upsetting Beebe. She has already received attention from Power Five schools. This season she hit .333, scored 17 runs, and hit three home runs.
Jaylin Pruitt | Marshall | SR
Pruitt played a major part in Marshall having its best season in recent memory getting the job done both in the circle as well as the outfield which is where she will be during the All-Star game this summer. In 2022 she hit .642 with 35 runs and stole 16 bases. She also won 8 games pitching and struck out 102 batters.
Mercedes Reel | East Poinsett County | FR
Reel got off to a booming start to the season batting over .500 then cooled off a bit and picked things back up at the time of year that it really counts. EPC head coach Brandon Powell mentioned that having her in center field as an underclassman has been a great addition and offensively, she has hit .409, scored 34 runs, and batted in 27 runs through regional tournament play.
Kensey Rosson | Mena | SO
Rossen is described as essentially a coach in the outfield and her talents are noted too as a Gold Glove outfielder. She has excelled at the plate batting .606 with an on-base percentage of .642, 12 runs batted in, a home run, and 27 stolen bases.
“Kinsey has been a great leadoff hitter for us and also an excellent outfielder,” Mena head coach Ray Hunter said. “She is the leader for our outfielders when it comes to defensive strategies.”
Alleyna Rushing | Bentonville | SR
The Oklahoma Baptist signee is the heart and soul of the Lady Tigers’ outfield and has stayed consistent at the plate. After batting .480 as a junior, Rushing has continued to hit very well through the regular season as she has hit .447, which is second on the team, along with an on base percentage of .494 with 13 runs batted in. She was fantastic in the first two rounds of the state tournament going 5-8 scoring five runs and three RBI.
McKenzie Shinabery | Marion | JR
When Shinaberry is not making plays in the outfield, she is doing it in the classroom with a 4.15 GPA and 29 on the ACT. On the field, she returned this season as a 2021 all-state performer and had another great year hitting over .400 and led the Lady Patriots in runs batted in.
“McKenzie has a very strong arm/awareness,” Marion head coach Sean Gray said. “She threw out 5 different girls at the plate.”
Raylee Slate | Ouachita | SO
When Slate is not in right field, she is a solid arm in the circle for the Lady Warriors where she has struck out almost half of the batters she has faced. She gave the batting lineup a boost in the third spot hitting .529 with a .922 slugging percentage.
“Raylee can also play anywhere on the field and really adds to our versatility,” Ouachita head coach Corey Brown said.
Mia Smith | Little Rock Christian | JR
Also a star for the Lady Warriors basketball team, Smith had a slow start but got rolling against Maumelle in early April, smashing three grand slams. Through the regular season she hit .635 and had a .429 on base percentage with 20 runs batted in and 5 home runs. Defensively she was perfect with a 1.000 fielding percentage on 18 putouts.
“She is a very athletic kid with great sense for the ball,” head coach Caitlin Smith said.
Mattison Steele | Nashville | SR
Nashville head coach Boomer Brown described Steele as the Scarpperette’s “most clutch ballplayer” and her tremendous ball instincts off the bat. Offensively as part of one of the more dangerous batting lineups in Arkansas, Steele hit .427 scoring 34 runs and only struck out three times through regional tournament play.
“Mattison is not the fastest but makes up for it with one of the quickest releases you will find from any outfielder,” Brown said. “What she lacks in size she makes up for it in heart and determination.”
Kiley Stokes | Greene County Tech | SR
Stokes gets the job done in center field for the Lady Eagles and her body of work reflects that, but she has set the tone at the plate from her leadoff spot batting .506, a 557 on-base percentage, 29 RBI, and 18 stolen bases.
“Kiley is one of our senior leaders and she covers as much ground in center field as you will find in the state,” GCT head coach David Reynolds said. “She really gets us going offensively from the leadoff spot.”
Leigh Swint | Booneville | JR
Along with being a talented basketball player and singer, Swint did a great job holding down centerfield this season compiling a .944 fielding percentage with one error on 18 chances. She hit .427 with a .549 slugging with 22 runs batted in and a home run.
Lilly Tatum | Danville | FR
Coach Kali Kelley mentioned Tatum as the best outfielder on the team as a ninth grader and her numbers would certainly back it up as she hit .561 with an on base percentage of .673 and stole 8 bases. She is a ballhawk in the outfield with great speed and when at the plate slaps for power and percentage.
“Lilly always gives 100% effort every play of the game and anything hit to her I always know that play is secure,” Kelley said. “She is only a freshman and plays at a level of maturity that never goes unnoticed.”
Shanley Williams | Tuckerman | SR
Noted as the best fielder and fastest player on the team, Williams uses her speed to run down balls in the outfield or zoom to first base as a very tough out once the ball is on the ground. Through district tournament play, Williams hit .441 with an on base percentage of .441, a .721 slugging percentage, 20 RBI, and 18 stolen bases.
“Shanley is the glue for our team,” Tuckerman head coach Matt Dillon said. “She covers gap to gap, slaps/leads off for us and sets the tone for our lineup.”
Klaire Womack | Riverside | FR
Riverside will be a team to watch in the future after making the state tournament with a very young squad that starts with Womack. Despite missing the first three or so weeks of softball due to a basketball injury, she hit .347, scored 15 runs while batting in another 14, but really showed out as Riverside’s closer throwing 17 innings striking out 33 batters and compiled a .41 earned run average.
“Klaire really came on strong late,” Riverside head coach TJ Eakins said. “You can’t ask for a better kid or attitude, she is going to give 110% no matter what.”
